Re: virus: Re: Future man,

Vicki Rosenzweig (rosenzweig@NY.hq.acm.org)
Wed, 10 Apr 1996 11:16:00 -0700 (PDT)

This one is easy, guys. "All anti-immortalists must die" is cute,
and probably even valid (I can envision, say, someone finding a
cure for aging, and releasing it into the population as a virus--but
that's a plot for a science fiction story, not an immediate likelihood),
but it looks like a threat because "X must die" usually means
"We want to/will try to kill X." It is also true that, for example,
"All Philadelphians must die" or "All dogs must die," but a resident
of Philadelphia would probably take the first statement as a threat,
not a mere statement of actuarial data. Certainly, in a more-or-less
political context, the declaration that all of your opponents must die
is not going to reduce the temperature of the argument.

Vicki Rosenzweig
----------
From: virus-owner
To: virus
Subject: Re: virus: Re: Future man,
Date: Wednesday, April 10, 1996 8:23AM

Reply to: RE>>virus: Re: Future man, immortality

Marek writes:
>It's not like we have a choice, you know. Nor will *believing* in
>immortality inundate you from death, or will it? I have found transhuman
>thinking quite appealing due to its optimism and "will do" stance; but
>for now these are dreams. I have to agree with Bill: you're not doing
>Transhumanism a favor by pouncing at people, even less by putting =
yourself
>above any debate. I don't think your words could be understood as a
>threat, no; but a variation on the infamous FOAD they were.

I agree that hopes for avoiding mortality are dreams -- for now. But =
given
enough effort, I think mortality can be avoided, or at least greatly =
postponed,
through scientific progress. If one believes that immortality is =
*always* going
to be beyond our reach, one is not going to support immortality research; =
if
one thinks immortality is "bad", one is unlikely to take advantage of =
life
extension technologies as they become available. Hence the great meme
(originated by Dave Krieger?]:

All anti-immortalists must die.

Not a threat; merely an observation. If it strikes the anti-immortalist =
as a
threat, perhaps he/she should reconsider his/her reasons for thinking =
that
death is a Good Thing...

-Ken